Missed Opportunities
by romionefan4eva
Summary: It started out as a request to join the Cheerios. Then an invitation to see Les Miserables. Then a crush. But it would all lead to an even greater friendship.
1. The Deal

"I can't believe we lost." Tina mumbled as she walked to her car after glee club closely followed by fellow member Blaine Anderson. "I'm _so_ disappointed!"

"You think you're disappointed?! Think how I feel! Try being the star of the Warblers and leave them to attend you now EX-boyfriend's school. Kurt doesn't even go here anymore! And now I have to watch the Warblers go to Regionals when I could be leading them to victory!" Blaine exclaimed.

"Think how _you _feel, Blaine _Warbler_?!" Tina said angrily, turning on him. There was an emphasis on the Warbler, not used as an affectionate nickname like usual, but instead it was intended to be a jab towards him. Blaine was surprised; he did not expect this to be turned on him, he thought they were simply venting about the New Directions. Also, he didn't want to have a fight in the middle of the parking lot. "This is my fourth year in Glee Club. Fourth, Blaine! By the end of this year, Artie and I will be the longest running members of the New Directions. I've been here since the very beginning, day one, actually, and what do I have to show for it?! You've been here for a little over a year, and you've probably gotten more solos then me. Not to mention you can still be proud of all those solos you had with the Warblers."

Blaine's defensive demeanor changed, and he sighed before saying sincerely, "Tina, I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"You're not the first! No one had any idea! No one ever gives a second thought about me! It's like I was destined to sway in the background!" She said, strutting towards her car, thinking the conversation was over, but Blaine was following behind. "Last year, Rachel told me I would be the new Rachel Berry, and guess who is officially crowned the new Rachel?! You!" She yelled, pointing an intimadating finger at Blaine, who recoiled. "And, Artie had the heart to say I didn't even win second! Maybe that wasn't my best performance, or maybe he chose Brittany because he thought she was a better girlfriend than I was-"

"You dated Artie?" Blaine grinned. "Wait..._Brittany_ dated Artie?"

"Shocking, isn't it?" Tina said quietly, but then went back on her rant, "But also completely irrelevant to the subject at hand. Like I said, I was promised to be the new Rachel, and that was taken out of my hands, just like almost everything. I was so excited to play Rizzo, and what does Finn do? Bring in one of the graduates who stole all my solos to play her instead!"

"Yes, that was quite a low blow from Finn, I agree-"

"And then, my first competition solo is ruined because stupid Marley decided to faint!" Tina said bitterly.

"Tina, I know it's unfortunate, but it's not all Marley's fault." Blaine said fairly.

"Okay, you're right, but still, there's something wrong with this situation. My first competition solo is Gangam Style! It was in freaking Korean! How can I showcase my voice when I'm spitting things out in Korean?! Oh, sure, give the Asian girl the Korean song! I don't know Korean! Do I look Korean to you?!" She spat.

"Well, I mean you do have-" Blaine began uncertainly, but Tina cut him off.

"Of course you think I look Korean, you can't tell the difference! There are different types of Asian, you know. I don't expect you to learn a song in German because you're white. You could very well be French, or Irish, Or Swedish-"

"You know, as much as I appreciate you rambling off every white country in Europe, I would like to remind you that my Mom is from the Philippines so I am of Asian descent and I do know a thing or two about Asian cultures." He said coldly. "So next time you make assumptions-"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Blaine!" Tina wailed suddenly, sitting on the hood of her car. "God, I've been such a bitch lately!"

"You haven't been a bitch." Blaine said, joining her on the hood of the car.

"Yes I have!" She cried. "But you know why, right?"

"Not exactly."

"Rachel was annoying and high-maintenance, Mercedes was a diva, Quinn was a bitch, and Santana was the ultimate bitch. And at times, we've all hated each of them. But somehow they still got what they want! They still ruled the Glee club, and took all the solos. It was because they were mean and power-hungry, so people respected them for it. So with four divas to deal with, it was easy for quiet, sweet, Tina to be pushed aside. I'm sick of being on the sidelines, I'm sick of swaying in the background! So I took a little bit of each of them to create my confident head bitch persona. But I still haven't gotten my solos and I hate how I treat others and now we lost and it was all for nothing!" She cried, and surprised Blaine by beginning to sob in his shoulder.

Blaine wanted to remind her to not get tear stains on his new shirt, but he refrained against it. He had never been that close with Tina, they had both been too busy with their boyfriends, but now that Kurt and Mike were gone after both breaking up with them, and Glee club was beginning to have serious problems, he was beginning to realize they had a lot more in common than he thought.

"Hey, hey, don't cry." He said soothingly, rubbing her back. "It's going to be okay."

"I really wanted to win." She sniffed, resting her head on Blaine's shoulder. "Just once, I wanted to prove that the New Directions didn't always need Rachel Berry to lead them to victory. I wanted the world to know that the New Directions have other stars that want to shine."

"Well, I know." Blaine smiled. "Is that enough?"

"I wish I could say it was." Tina pouted. "Four years, Blaine. All that dreaming down the drain. I hate to admit it, but I love the feeling of competition. And now I'll never have that."

"Never say never." Blaine said brightly. "I have an idea."

"And what's that?" Tina gave a weak smile.

"Let's join the Cheerios." He said suddenly, jumping off the hood of the car in excitement.

"Are you insane?" Tina scoffed. "Why would we want to be Cheerios?!"

"To perform. To Dance. To maybe incorporate a song or two. To compete. To _win. _And goddamit, to be popular for a change!" Blaine said, bouncing off his heels with excitement.

Tina giggled. "Even if we wanted to, Sue would never let us on. It's mid-season and she hates the glee kids."

"I'm gay. You're Asian. If she doesn't, then I'll file a lawsuit for discrimination." He said, and Tina laughed. "But seriously. They could use some male cheerleaders. And a pretty talented and good looking one if I do say so myself." He gave a smug smile.

"Then why don't you just join?" Tina suggested.

"Because..." Blaine admitted, "I don't want to go alone. I want to go with a friend."

"I see." Tina nodded, touched at Blaine considering her a friend. They had always had the teammate bond, but not much more.

"It's a shame, isn't it, that I've attended McKinley for over a year, and we've never really had a talk like this." Blaine said seriously, and grabbed her hands. "I like you, Tina. I see a forming of a beautiful friendship. I only wished I had known you sooner. Not getting to know you last year was a missed opportunity. But not trying out for the Cheerios could be plenty of missed opportunities; of fame, fun, and most importantly, friendship." He smiled, and added quietly. "The Cheerios need a star like you, Tina."

Tina found her eyes watering, and sniffled, trying to hide it. "Fine, Blaine. I'll join the Cheerios. But if Sue bites my head off-"

"Which she won't, because I will file a lawsuit-"

"Then you sure as hell better be backing me up when I take her down."

"Deal." Blaine grinned, and Tina returned it with a bright smile and a big hug.


	2. Cheerios Practice

Blaine and Tina were stretching before Cheerios practice, in a heated discussion about Les Miserables, when they were interrupted by a short auburn haired girl.

"H-hey Blaine." She said nervously.

"Hey, Cassie." He said, giving her a winning smile.

"So, um, I was watching you stretch-I mean, you're really strong-I mean, well, I was wondering," Cassie took a deep breath to compose herself, "Would you like to stretch with me, Blaine?"

"Oh, Cassie, I'd love to, but I'm already stretching with Tina." He said. "How about tomorrow?"

"T-tomorrow? Tomorrow is perfect! Can't wait!" She said, blushing furiously. "Bye, Blaine!"

"See ya, Cassie." He said with a wink.

Tina gave Blaine a quizzical look. "Have you talked to Cassie much?" He said casually. Tina shook her head. "Sweet, sweet girl."

"Mhm-hmm." She nodded. They had just returned to the debate of Team Eponine or Team Cosette when they were interrupted by another girl, this one overcome with giggles.

"H-h-hi Blaine." She said, giggling uncontrollably.

"Hey, Abigail." He said calmly, flashing a bright smile.

"So, I, um, was at the vending machine, and I got myself a Gatorade, right?" She said, and Blaine nodded encouragingly. Tina studied them both. "And then I remembered you saying that you're favorite flavor was lemon lime, and I had some extra money, so I thought," She burst into giggles again, and then presented him with a bottle of lemon lime Gatorade. "Ta-Da! I thought you might like it."

"Wow, thanks, Abby! I was getting a little thirsty." He said. "Are you sure you don't want it, though?"

"Oh, no, I prefer my blue Gatorade, but thank you." She said brightly.

"Well, I'll be thinking of you when I drink it, then." He said with a wink, sending her in a fit of giggles before she joined a small cluster of Cheerios.

"What was that?" Tina said flatly.

"What?" Blaine said, his wide smile turning into a frown.

"You're _gay._"

"And you're Asian!" He retaliated in defense.

"No, what I mean is, you're gay, but yet here you are flirting with these Cheerios!" She said accusingly.

"I am not flirting. I am simply being extra nice to people who consider me attractive." He said with a smile.

"You tease!" She giggled.

"I'm not a tease! It's not my fault that I have a flirtatious personality that attracts both men and woman." He laughed.

"Shut up! You were _definitely _putting on the charm for them!" Tina pointed a finger at his chest.

"What?! No!" Blaine said, putting up his hands in surrender. Tina glared. "Asian Persuasion, do not try to use your powers-Alright, fine, I am extra nice to the Cheerios who are attracted to me."

"I knew it!" Tina said triumphantly, getting up from the splits and facing him in a butterfly pose. "But why?"

"I'm not ashamed that I'm gay, Tina. I'm proud of who I am. And I don't mind telling people that. But if some of these cheerios happen to believe I may be bicurious and try to court me with free Gatorades or a popular place among the cheerios...I'm not going to stop them." He said with a mischievous smile.

"You're awful!" Tina laughed, grabbing his hands and pulling Blaine forward, stretching his back.

"Ow! Not so hard!" He chuckled.

"That's what you get for leading these girls on!" She teased.

"Tina Cohen-Chang, are you jealous?" He said, a playful smile on his lips.

"Of course not!"

"You know there's always room to hop on the Blaine Train." He chuckled, and added, "And I wouldn't say no to you buying me a Gatorade either."

"You're the worst!" She shrieked with laughter as he pulled her forward, stretching her back.

"Every Cheerio has at least a streak of evil. And I guess flirting and using my good looks to make the Cheerios like and accept me happen to be my stroke of evilness." He said casually.

"At least you're in." She mumbled.

"What?" He said, letting go of her hands and stretching his left leg.

"Nobody likes me. They all think I'm the weird quiet Asian that doesn't deserve to be on the team." She confessed.

"Tina, you do deserve to be on the team! You're _insanely _talented!" He exclaimed.

"As if they noticed. They push me aside and put me in the background, just like Glee club. But at least Glee was nice about it. These girls are downright bitches! They have no respect me once-so-ever. But you wouldn't know anything about that. They all _love _you." She sighed.

Blaine bit his lip, and then stood up abruptly. "C'mon," He said, and held out his hand to her.

"What are we doing?" She asked as she took his hand and he helped her up.

"I'm about to make you the most well respected girl on the squad." He said confidently.

"What?!" She said in disbelief.

"Laugh." He commanded.

"Excuse me?"

"Laugh!"

"What?"

"Imagine Mr. Shue in a banana suit!" He exclaimed, and Tina burst into melodious giggles. Blaine began to laugh too; it was fake at first, but her laughter was contagious, and he began to let out genuine chuckles.

"Now toss your hair flirtatiously!" He ordered.

She did as she was told, but said, "Blaine, I don't get-"

She was surprised when he put his hand on the small of her back, pulling her closer.

"And have a hand slowly creep up my_ muscular _biceps." He said.

"Muscular?" Tina teased, and he nudged her with his left arm before wrapping it around her back, joining it with the right. The arms slowly moved down to around her waist, and they moved even closer together.

"Blaine," She whispered.

"Now," Blaine said softly in her ear. "I want you to place a swift kiss on my cheek, then turn on the spot and walk away. No, not walk, strut. And _do not _look back. But know that I will be staring at your ass the whole time, so make it count."

"You're crazy!" She said quietly.

"You're too far in now, Chang. You gotta do it." He smiled, and Tina did just that.

As she strut away, Blaine stared at her butt with a dreamy expression on his face. The Cheerios had been watching the entire scene. Their jaws were practically to the floor in shock. Abby had dropped her Gatorade, which had spilled everywhere, but the Cheerios were too focused on this scene to even care. _How could the new quiet Asian leave the attractive Blaine Anderson wanting more?_

After practice, Blaine lingered outside the girls' locker room. He received mixed reactions from the Cheerios as they exited. Some giggled and smiled at him like before, but some who were recently smitten with him seemed to pass him by.

Tina came out last, chatting animatedly with a couple of Cheerios girls. The girls took a look at Blaine, and then Tina. "Well, we'll leave you two alone." One of them smirked, and the other giggled before they said goodbye to Blaine and Tina.

"Hi." Blaine said once they were alone.

"Hey." Tina said. "You didn't have to wait for me."

"Well, I had to give the impression I'm still pining for you, didn't I?" He laughed. "And I wanted to make sure it worked."

"If what worked?"

"Our whole charade. I figured our little 'moment' we displayed would earn you respect from your fellow Cheerios." Blaine explained. "I mean, what's more impressive than the best-looking guy on the squad begging for your love?"

"Well, not much could be more impressive apparently, because it worked." She gave him a small smile. "The girls were in disbelief. Some adore me for it, wanting to know my secrets. Some hate me for it, and are jealous of me now. But what I have earned from all of them is respect. Thank you, Blaine." She said, and gave him a hug.

"No problem." He smiled. "I may have lost a few of my adoring fans and free Gatorades, but it's worth it." He said, and they both laughed.

"C'mon," Tina said brightly, grabbing his hand.

"Where are we going?"

"Breadstix." She said. "I am buying you dinner in gratitude."

"I knew you wanted to hop on the Blaine Train!" He teased.


	3. Les Miserables

It had been a quick trip to New York to see Kurt, and then the day Christmas after he was whisked off to Connecticut with his family without even a chance to see a Broadway play. He was content; Every day was filled with entertainment from his family and every free moment spent thinking about the holiday Blaine and Kurt had spent together. But now, he was back in Lima. And now, he was back to where Kurt had left him the last time. Alone.

Through all his thoughts about Kurt, Blaine realized in horror that he hadn't seen Les Miserables yet. It was something he and Kurt had always intended on doing...but things don't always go as planned.

But one thing was for sure, he had to see Les Mis. But with who? He could go alone. _No, that'd be embarrassing. _He could go with his Mom. _That'd be worse than going alone! _He could ask...Sam? They were becoming good friends, right? _No, asking Sam to see a musical with him would ruin the 'bromance' they had. _Hmm. Blaine was stumped. Did he really have no friends at McKinley? He wasn't close with any of the newbies, he knew Brittany wouldn't have the attention span to sit through it, he knew Artie wouldn't appreciate it, he knew Tina-

_Tina. _

It was so simple that Blaine mentally slapped himself for not realizing it earlier. Of course Tina would want to see Les Mis! She was probably one of the only members who would fully appreciate the musical, and one of the only members Blaine would feel comfortable hanging out alone with.

Blaine reached for his phone and dialed her number.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hey, Tina, it's Blaine."

"Hi, Blaine!" She said brightly.

"Question, what did you think of Les Mis?"

"Oh, it was really good! The actors did a nice-and the songs, and-" She sighed. "Oh, Blaine, please don't kill me! I have a confession. I haven't seen Les Mis yet. It's just, I've been so busy with the holidays, but now the holidays are over and I don't have the social confidence to go see it by myself-"

"I also have a horrible confession." Blaine smiled. "I haven't seen it either."

Tina giggled. "I'll meet you at the movie theater in twenty minutes, then?"

Blaine sighed as they took their seats in the theater, equipped with popcorn and a pack of Red Vines.

"What?" Tina asked, concerned.

"It's nothing." He lied, but Tina gave him a knowing look. "It's just, well; Kurt and I had planned to see Les Mis together. A while ago, like right when school started. Funny how things change, don't they?" He gave a bitter laugh.

"You're lucky." She whispered.

"Lucky? What's lucky about having to break a promise with someone because you're no longer together?" Blaine said in disbelief.

"At least you had made plans for the future at some time. Mike broke up with me right before he left for school. I wasn't even expecting it! We had talked about staying together, and then all of a sudden he says he's going to need space to 'find himself'. I'm pretty sure the space between Lima and Chicago is enough without breaking up with me." She said bitterly.

Blaine's demeanor changed. Yes, Kurt had broken up with him, as did Mike with Tina, but that was because Blaine had done something stupid. _He _had done something stupid. At least Kurt, unlike Mike, had faith that they could withstand long distance. He _wanted_ to withstand long distance. In the beginning, at least. Blaine seemed to always forget that Tina had suffered heartbreak too.

Blaine was thinking of something to say back, something about Mike being a total asshole, but the more he considered it, the more he saw Mike's reasoning. Maybe Mike wanted to stay with Tina, but knew that trying to withstand long distance would lead to a messy breakup like him and Kurt. Sure, he and Kurt were friends now, but any chance of them possibly getting together would always have the looming cloud of the time Blaine cheated hanging over it.

"Maybe Mike only did it because he didn't want to hurt you in the future." Blaine said soothingly. "Or he didn't want you to become a cheating scumbag like me just because you were lonely and stupid."

"Blaine, don't say that!" Tina gasped.

"It's true." He said, the tears stinging his eyes.

"No it isn't."

"Yes it-"

"Blaine, look at me." She said firmly, and Blaine turned to her. "You are probably one of the most perfect people I know, but everyone has flaws. Maybe your flaw is you panic when you're lonely. Yeah, you made a mistake, but it was October! And I swear you've grown since then." She said seriously, and added teasingly, "Well, not height wise, but you know what I mean."

"Hey!" He let out a small chuckle.

"There's the Blaine I know!" She said. "Yes, it was unfortunate that you and Kurt broke up, but it forced you to learn more about yourself and emerge as a leader in Glee Club and not simply one half of 'Klaine'."

"Klaine?" He smiled in disbelief.

"Your couple name, obviously." She said casually, and grabbed his hand. "Blaine, what I'm trying to say, is you need not worry any more. You have great friends now, like me, and Sam. Not to mention you have the highest respect out of anyone in the glee club. So who knows, maybe you and Kurt will get back together. And I'm not saying the long-distance thing will get easier, because let's face it; it won't. But it will be easier to handle. Because you won't have to suffer with the loneliness anymore. Because you have friends like me to lean on."

Blaine stared at her for a moment before breaking into the widest smile she had seen. "Tina," He said, pulling her into a hug, "You're going to make me cry! And the movie hasn't even started yet!"

"Save those tears for Fantine's death." She ordered as they broke the hug. "No need to get sappy."

"But I do! That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a while." He said. "And for the record, I feel bad for Mike. He doesn't realize he lost the greatest girl in the world."

"Maybe he did a little." She said with a mischievous smile. "During Grease he told me he may have been mistaken for breaking up with me."

"What?! Tina, why didn't you tell me?!" Blaine said excitedly.

"I didn't think it was a big deal!" She laughed.

"It's totally a big deal! What did you say?"

"I said I'd consider it. I dated Artie for most of freshman year, then Mike for two years. I've never really had time for myself, and I think I need some alone time to really discover who I am. And I'm liking who I am now."

"Tina, that's inspiring." Blaine said admirably. "And let me be the first to say I love the new you."

"Thanks, Blaine." Tina beamed at him, and felt a nervous squirming in her stomach. The same feeling she felt when she had wheelchair races with Artie, or attended Asian camp with Mike. Hm. Weird.

"You know," Blaine whispered, "The movie is about to start, and seeing as we talked all through the previews, it might be courteous if we actually stay quiet for the rest of the movie. Especially since those two girls are giving us the stink eye right now, and the old couple that was sitting behind us moved over. They probably assumed we were going to be a 'make out couple'." He laughed. "If only they knew!"

"Yeah," Tina whispered, trying to ignore the weird sensation in her stomach as Blaine handed her a Red Vine with a charming smile, "If only they knew."

**Author's note: **_So, let me say this story will be canon, so Tina/Blaine will not get together. However, I think her crush on Blaine is sweet and I don't blame her for crushing on the most charming gay on the planet, so the story will include her crush, which is being foreshadowed in this chapter. Some people give Tina a bunch of crap for liking Blaine, but I think the crush will just lead to a stronger friendship, which is what the story is about. Because let's be real, Tina and Blaine are so cute together._


	4. Breadstix

Blaine's breakup with Kurt had forced him to reach out to other people at McKinley. This had led him to become close to two people, Sam and Tina. Although they were both close with Blaine, they were exact opposites, but that was what Blaine liked best.

When Blaine was discouraged over something stupid, he'd call up Sam. Sam would tell him to snap out of it and then meet Blaine at Buffalo Wild Wings for a 'man date'. "No bowties allowed, dude." Sam always reminded him.

When Blaine was feeling down about something and wanted to talk it out, he would call up Tina. Tina would invite him over and they'd watch chick flicks and polish off a carton of ice cream together while they discussed Blaine's problems.

Sam was the guy he texted if he found a funny YouTube video he might enjoy. Tina was the one he texted when he wanted to obsess over a new song.

He'd go to the library with Sam if he wanted to mess around. He'd go to the library with Tina if he wanted to gossip in the corner, or collaborate on a science project.

The weird part was, he couldn't figure out which routine he preferred. He supposed it just depended how he was feeling that day; or whether or not he wanted to bring out his feminine side.

But there was something weird about asking Sam to hang out this particular night. Maybe it was because he was back at school and he had forgotten over Christmas Break how much he apperciated seeing Sam every day over. Either way, as he picked up the phone to dials Sam's number, he felt something in his stomach he had never felt before when pertaining to Sam: nerves.

"Hey, Sam, it's Blaine."

"'Ello, Blaine!" He said cheerfully in his Austrialian accent, although Blaine knew this was his attempted Harry Potter impression. Some of Sam's impressions were downright awful, but they never failed to make Blaine laugh. "What's up?"

"I, um, wanted to know if you were free tonight. Maybe see a movie, or play some video games, or just hang out."

"Ah, dude, I'd love to but I've got plans with Brittany!" He said, disappointed.

"Oh, um, that's okay. Another time then." Blaine said, his voice breaking slightly.

"Well, I mean, you could come if you want." Sam suggested.

"I don't want to third wheel." Blaine said uneasily.

"No, dude! It'll be fine! We were probably just gonna get dinner and see a movie anyway."

"Can I bring someone?" Blaine knew very well what movies meant for couples. Two hours of making out. And as much as he would _love _to watch Brittany and Sam eat each other's faces, he did not want to be the only one in the theater actually watching the movie.

Sam fake-gasped. "Does Blaine Anderson have a new beau?"

"Something like that." He laughed.

"You know, as much as I love Breadstix, sometimes I think it gets a little repetitive." Tina admitted as they entered the restaurant.

"How many other places do you know that serve unlimited breadsticks?" Blaine laughed.

"Also, why was it so important we get here exactly at seven?" Tina asked. "I didn't even get to reapply my eyeliner, and you know how important it is for Asians to emphasize our eyes."

"We're meeting Brittany and Sam, didn't I tell you?"

"No. The conversation was more '_What are you doing?' 'Nothing.' 'I'm picking you up in twenty minutes. K Bye.'" _She laughed. "Not to mention it's hard to have a conversation over the Katy Perry music you blast in the car."

"Hey! Don't complain, you sang along!" He teased, hiding his guilty blush. He _did _hurry over to Tina's house, eagar to be right on time for Sam...and Brittany, of course.

"I never said I didn't like Katy Perry! I auditioned for Glee club with I Kissed a Girl!"

"You don't say?" Blaine said, amused.

"Yeah, back when I was in my Punk phase and still spoke with a stutter." She said lightly.

"Punk phase? I feel there's a lot about Miss Tina Cohen-Chang I still have to learn about." He grinned before they reached the table of Brittany and Sam.

"Hey, guys." Blaine greeted a bit nervously.

"What up, bro?" Sam said happily.

"Blaine Warbler! What a pleasant surprise!" Brittany said.

"Brit, I told you he was coming." Sam reminded her.

"Oh, right." She gave a small laugh. "But the bigger surprise is Tina! Unless, you told me about that one, too?"

"Nah, Brit." Sam said easily, putting his arm around her. "This one was all Blaine."

"I, um, hope you don't mind me coming." Tina said awkwardly.

"Of course not!" Sam said. "I just wish I had known; I would've invited Artie along for some senior bonding."

"I'm sure crashing your date is the perfect opportunity for senior bonding." Blaine teased as he and Tina sat in the opposite booth.

"Hey! You two agreed to it!" Sam said. "Although he would kind of be a fifth wheel."

"Sam, Artie only has four wheels." Brittany said. Tina and Blaine stifled their giggles.

"He could've brought Sugar." Sam suggested.

"They broke up." Tina said.

"No way!" Blaine said. "When?"

"A week ago. Apparently his Christmas gift to her wasn't expensive enough." She said.

"That's too bad." Blaine said.

"Poor Artie. He seems like he's always getting his heart broken." Sam noted.

"Yeah, like when you broke up with him, Tina." Brittany said.

"Or when you broke up with him, Brittany." Tina retaliated.

"Oh, right." Brittany said. "I guess I did date Artie."

Conversation passed easily for the end of the night. They swapped stories, talked about teachers, gossiped about glee, and couldn't stop laughing. Blaine was happily surprised at how well his two best friends were getting along; he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed this much. He decided to make it his goal to hang out with Tina and Sam together more often.

"Well _that_ looks absolutely delicious." Blaine said, eyeing Tina's ravioli as they were served.

"And it tastes delicious too." She said after her first bite.

"Don't mind if I do." He said, grabbing a piece with his fork.

"How dare you!" She faked gasped, trying to snatch the piece away from him, but Blaine popped it into his mouth.

"You snooze you lose." He said, and added, "And sweet merciful Lord, this is delicious."

"Isn't it?!" Tina gushed, aiming her fork to Blaine's plate of spaghetti.

"What are you doing?" Blaine laughed at the weird way Tina was scooping her spaghetti.

"You try some of my dish; I get to try some of yours!" She said.

"No, I mean, what are you doing with your fork. To get a sufficient amount of spaghetti you have to spin your fork, T." Blaine chuckled.

"Ooh." She nodded, and followed his instructions. As she lead the fork to her mouth, some of the spaghetti fell on her dress. Blaine laughed.

"It's not funny!" Tina said, attempting to stifle her giggles as she put a napkin to the stain. "This dress is new."

"You've got some on your face." Blaine snickered. "There, no there, wait, there, almost got it, there." What Tina didn't know was she had sauce on her finger and Blaine was just making it worse by having her spread it around.

"This is getting ridiculous; just get it off for me!" She chortled.

"Alright, but first, Smile!" Blaine said, taking a photo on his phone, and showing Tina.

"Blaine Anderson, you're the worst!" She giggled, flinging a bit of spaghetti sauce on her fork at him.

"Hey! Watch the sweater!" He laughed.

"Blaine Warbler, I thought you were gay." Brittany said suddenly. Tina and Blaine immediately stopped their shenanigans.

"Um, yeah, Brittany, I am." He said awkwardly.

"Then why are you dating Tina?" She asked.

"I'm not dating Tina!" He chuckled.

"You sure act like it." She said.

"No way." Blaine grinned, wrapping an arm around Tina. "Tina and I are just best friends."

"Yeah," She said, hiding a shrivel of disappointment in her smile. "Best friends."


	5. The Idea

"Oh, wait, I got one!" Tina said between giggles as they walked out of the movie theater. "When Barbra says, 'Are you seeing anyone, and then Seth Rogen says, 'Are _you _seeing anyone?' and she says, "Please, Andy, don't be disgusting.'" Tina and Blaine burst into laughter, reciting favorite parts of The Guilt Trip.

"No, but wait, the best part comes after that when she says, "What about that girl with the exotic name?' And he responds, 'Bethany?'" Tina cackled with laughter at Blaine's impersonations.

"Don't look at me like that, man!" Blaine said to Sam's bemused expression. "It's from the movie!"

"But they didn't actually _watch _the movie, remember, Blainey?" Tina teased.

"Sorry I didn't want to watch a mother drive cross country with her son." Sam said, and added sarcastically, "Sounds like a real blockbuster."

"That was what the movie was about? Oh, if I had known, I would've actually watched it." Brittany said.

"I'm glad you didn't." Sam said seductively, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her head. Brittany giggled.

"Well _I _for one enjoyed the movie." Blaine said, attempting to change the attention from 'The Brittany and Sam makeout show.'

"Me too!" Tina nodded encouragingly. "Barbra Streisand has really outdone herself."

"You don't really think that, do you?" Blaine scoffed.

"No, but she gave an enjoyable performance." She said fairly.

That's what Blaine loved about Tina. She was very go with the flow. Blaine loved Kurt, but he had to admit, Kurt was a movie snob. He could imagine seeing the movie with Kurt. If they had actually chosen to watch the movie and not do..._other _things, Kurt would have complained the whole time about how Barbra was throwing her career away, instead of having a great time enjoying the movie and appreciating the jokes like him and Tina were doing.

"Blaine," Tina whispered, waking him from his train of thought.

"I AGREE." He said suddenly, hoping this was the right response, and praying she hadn't been talking while he zoned out.

"You seem to be so lost in thought that we forgot Sam and Brittany." She giggled.

They didn't have to look far; Sam and Brittany were only a few behind them, although a bit..._preoccupied_ with each other.

"Gross." Blaine teased, wrinkling his nose, and Tina laughed.

"C'mon, guys," Blaine said, breaking them up. "Let's get some ice cream."

Sam and Brittany were sharing a milkshake. It was disgustingly adorable, Blaine noted. He didn't know what had gotten into him; lately, every cute thing Sam and Brittany did had set him off. Maybe it was because he was stuck with his lonely mint chocolate chip cone.

"You have some on your face." Tina informed him.

"Where?"

"There." Tina said, smashing his ice cream into his nose.

"Tina Cohen-Chang!" He gasped, while Tina burst into laughter, along with Sam and Brittany.

"_That's _payback for the pasta thing."

"I hate you." He said grumpily.

"Honey, you couldn't hate me if you tried." She said with a smirk.

"Sorry? I didn't hear that. Was that the wind?" Blaine teased.

"Hello?" Tina said, pretending to receive a call on her phone. "Oh, Blaine, fourth grade called. They want their ignoring tactics back." Tina said, and Blaine burst into laughter.

"You cold hearted b-" Blaine didn't get to finish his sentence because Tina pressed her cone towards his lips.

"Okay, now I have Blaine slobber all over my cone. I think we're even." She giggled.

Blaine smushed her cone into her nose. "_Now _we're even." Blaine gave a mischievous grin, and Tina beamed.

"Hello, Mom!" Tina said in a sing-song voice as she entered the house, taking a cookie from the kitchen table.

"Well, you're out a bit later than expected." Her mother, Kim, noted.

"Sorry. Blaine suggested we get some ice cream." She said breathlessly.

"Oh, I don't mind. It's nice to see you out and about. And you do look particularly cheery tonight." Her mother noted.

"How so?" Tina humored her.

"For starters, your grin could stretch across the whole kitchen table." She laughed. Tina blushed. "And that adorable little blush-"

"Okay, Mom, you can stop now. This is just getting embarrassing." Tina rolled her eyes.

"You like this boy, don't you? Blaine?" Her mother's lips pursed into a knowing smile.

Tina held her head in shame. "And if I did?" She said quietly.

"Then do something about it!" Kim said.

"Mom, if I _did _like him, hypothetically, of course, he'd never like me back." She sighed, taking a seat.

"And why is that?" Her mother said.

_Because he's gay! _The voice inside her head practically screamed. "Because...I'm not his type." Tina said, too embarrassed to admit the real truth.

"And why not? Who wouldn't love you?" Kim said comfortingly.

"Trust me, Mom. There's no use trying. And what would even be the point of liking him? He'd _never_ ask me out." She sighed sadly.

"Well then why don't you ask him out?"

"What?" Tina said in disbelief.

"Tina, it's the twenty-first century. Times are changing! Women are empowered! Who says you can't ask out a guy?" Her mother said encouragingly.

"McKinley High..." She mumbled.

"What about a Sadie Hawkins Dance?" Kim suggested.

"A what?"

"Sadie Hawkins Dance. Isn't that what they call them? Or is it Snowball? Or Turnabout?"

"You mean like a girl ask guy dance?" Tina questioned, intrigued.

"Yes. Your Aunt Mae was telling me about Stacy going to the Sadie Hawkins Dance and finally getting the courage to ask the boy she's liked for ages." Kim informed her.

"Good for Stacy." Tina said, going to the refrigerator to get some milk, trying to find an end to the awkward conversation.

"They're dating now." Her mother added. Tina bit her lip. Cousin Stacy had a boyfriend and she didn't?

"That's all good and fine, Mom, but there's one problem: McKinley doesn't have a Sadie Hawkins dance."

"Then make one!" Her mother exclaimed. "Isn't that what student council is for? _And _didn't Blaine put appoint you on student council himself? Clearly he is interested in your ideas."

"Or he just needed a secretary." Tina said nonchalantly.

"Look, Tina, all I'm saying is it's an idea to consider." Kim looked at Tina thoughtfully, and added, "The worst he can say is no."


	6. Tater Tots

"Tina!" Sam called from across the cafeteria as she walked in with Blaine. "Guess what the lunch special is _this whole week_!"

Tina studied his excited face. "No!" She gasped.

"Yes!"

"But, there's no way, this is too good to be true-"

"Yes, c'mon let's go, or they'll all be gone!" Sam urged, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the lunch line, Blaine at their heels.

"May I ask what the commotion is all about?" Blaine said, confused, and desperate to be in the know.

"Tater tots!" Tina and Sam exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh." Blaine said.

"Oh?" Tina repeated in disbelief.

"OH?" Sam yelled.

"I've never really had them." He shrugged.

"You've never really lived, more like it." Sam said.

"Blaine, these tater tots are the reason kids stay at McKinley." Tina said. "Try one."

"But they're fattening." Blaine whined. "And if they're as good as you say, I'll get addicted to them...and fat."

"Oh, c'mon, Blaine, you have to try_ one_." Tina urged.

"Yeah, c'mon, Blaine!" Sam cheered, patting him on the back.

"Oh, alright." Blaine sighed, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach he felt when Sam's hand was on his shoulder. "If you _insist."_

When the lunch lady wasn't looking, he quickly grabbed a single tater tot and popped it into his mouth. Tina and Sam studied him. "Well that's like a little bite of heaven!" He exclaimed, and Tina and Sam cheered.

"I'll have the tater tots." Blaine said when the lunch lady came to serve them. "More...more...that's good, eh, maybe a few more." He commentated as the lunch lady added tater tots to his bowl.

"Jesus, when you said you'd get addicted, you meant it." Tina laughed as they reached the lunch table.

"Okay, game plan for the rest of the week: Meet at my locker and we will run to the cafeteria to ensure we get the first and most delicious tater tots." Blaine said seriously.

Tina and Sam exchanged an amused glance. They were shortly joined by Brittany, who sat uncomfortably close to Sam, Blaine noted. Sam had now focused his attention to Brittany, so Blaine decided he might as well join in on Tina and Artie's conversation.

"Wait, Ti-Ti," Blaine called as she wheeled Artie out of the cafeteria when the period was over.

Tina instantly spun around, wearing a surprised expression. Blaine noticed it. "You don't like the nickname?"

"What? No, I was just, surprised...that's all." Tina said slowly, and then admitted, "Well, the last person to call me that was Mike, and you know..."

"Oh." Blaine said slowly, noticing her sad demeanor. "Well, it's time for a new era of Tina Cohen-Chang nicknames, isn't it?" He smiled, putting his arm around Tina. "What about Tay-Tay? I like the ring to that, don't you?"

_And that was all it took. From that moment on, Tina knew she had to suggest the Sadie Hawkins Dance. He was part of a New Era of her life, just like her fresh new nickname. She was not crushing on him because of his bright smile, dark features, or even the charming personality; although those attributes did add to his attractiveness. What Tina liked best about Blaine was he listened to her, and cared for her._

"Perfect." She beamed.

"Tay-Tay it is! I expect some creative nicknames in return." He said.

"Of course. But I will need some time to think in order to supply you with the most creative nicknames possible." Tina said.

"Looking forward to it. Oh, and by the way, Student Council Meeting today after school." He said with a nudge. "I gotta get to class. See ya in Math, Tay-Tay!"

Tina had gathered the courage to suggest the Sadie Hawkins Dance at the Student Council meeting. She had had received enthusiastic responses, except from the person whose opinion mattered the most to her, Blaine. She tried not to let it get to her, though; she assumed Blaine was preoccupied and would be excited soon enough.

"Well," Blaine said once the only other council members left were Sam, Tina, and Sugar, who were listening to Sam's impressions, "Now that _that's _out of the way, anyone up for a coffee at the Lima Bean?"

"Can't. Daddy and I are flying up to Chicago for dinner on our jet." Sugar said, and with a wave she was off.

"I'm in!" Tina said brightly, still in a great mood her Sadie Hawkins idea had gone over well.

"Sam?" Blaine said hopefully.

"Yeah, I guess if I order water." Sam said.

"I'll cover you." Blaine said.

"Kidding." Sam said. "I can afford a hot chocolate every now and then."

0~0

"The Sadie Hawkins idea really went over well, Tina." Sam complimented once they had reached their table at the Lima Bean.

"Thanks." Tina beamed.

"Where'd you get the idea?" He asked.

"My mom said my cousin went to one and had a lot of fun, so I thought, why not?" She said brightly.

"Where does your cousin go to school?" Blaine said curiously.

"Some school in Cleveland. Why?" Tina said.

"I, well, um, never mind." Blaine gave a weak smile.

"Is something bothering you, Blaine?" Tina asked, concerned.

"Yeah, dude, you've been a bit off since the StuCo meeting." Sam noted.

"StuCo? Is that what we're calling it now?" Blaine said lightly.

"Don't change the subject!" Tina ordered. "Are you alright, Blaine?"

"I'm fine, Tay-Tay." He lied.

"No, you're not." Tina gave him a knowing look. "What's up?"

"It's the Sadie Hawkins Dance." He sighed.

"What about it?" Tina asked.

"I, well, um, I have a _history _with the Sadie Hawkins Dance." He began nervously.

"What happened?" Tina and Sam said in unison.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Blaine said quickly.

"Blaine, if it's something like your pants ripped at the dance, we're not going to judge you. I was a male stripper for God's sake!" Sam laughed.

"No, it's nothing like that." Blaine said, wringing his hands together.

"Tell us, Blaine." Tina said soothingly, grabbing Blaine's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. "You can trust us."

"Oh my God." Tina gasped once Blaine had gone up to get another coffee. "I'm a horrible person."

"Tina, just because you didn't donate to the food drive last week doesn't make you a completely horrible person." Sam said fairly.

"I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about the Sadie Hawkins dance! It was my idea, and now I'm bringing back awful memories for Blaine!" Tina cried.

"Tina, don't worry." Sam said encouragingly, putting an arm around her. "He seems fine. Actually, he seems a lot better once he got it off his chest. Look at him now; he's totally flirting with the barista!"

"But the fact that he was shaken up was my fault!" She fretted.

"Relax, Ti, what's the worst that could happen? He won't want go to the dance?" Tina let out a small wail and buried her face in Sam's shoulder. The tears had begun because of her guilt towards selfishly suggesting the dance without putting Blaine's feelings into account, but she continued to cry because she knew Blaine wouldn't want to go with her.

"What's wrong with that? I mean, I don't even know who would ask him anyway; I can't think of any other gay guys at school." Tina only cried harder into Sam's shoulder. "Tina, did I say something wrong? Are you afraid you did something wrong for womankind? Because honestly, I don't think many girls will be keen on asking a gay guy."

"I could think of a fair few." Tina said bitterly.

"Don't forget to put a little sugar in this. Your drink isn't quite as sweet as you." The cute and flirty barista said, and Blaine smiled as he received his coffee.

Yes, talking about the Sadie Hawkins Dance was hard, but he felt good knowing he had friends he could confine in. He began to walk towards them with a big smile on his face, ready to thank them for their understanding, when he noticed Tina crying in Sam's shoulder.

Jealousy was his first reaction. Because Tina just didn't understand. Her tears were being dried by one of the greatest men he knew, and she didn't even appreciate it. Sam would never be able to hold Blaine while he cried. It wouldn't be acceptable. But here he was, holding Tina, and neither thought anything of it. He sighed bitterly. _Oh the sorrows of unrequited love._

And then Blaine snapped back into reality. Tina was crying, and here he was complaining how Sam would never love him. A new kind of jealousy pumped through his veins. It was the fact that _he _should be the one drying Tina's tears. He _was _Tina's best friend, after all. Sam could go dry Brittany's tears. Or Blaine's tears, if Sam so wished.

Blaine's protective senses kicked in and he ran over to his friends.

"Tina, what's wrong?" He cooed, pulling up a chair next to them. Tina immediately left Sam's shoulder and collapsed into Blaine's arms. She was no longer crying, but merely sniffling. Sam seemed relieved he was free of her and used a napkin to dry the tears left on his shirt.

"This is all my fault." She said quietly.

"What is?"

"The Sadie Hawkins Dance." Tina explained. "I should've known you were uncomfortable about the whole thing-"

"Tina, I never outright admitted it at the meeting, there was no way you could have known-"

"But I'm stupid and selfish, the only reason I came up with the idea of this whole dance was so I could ask-" She stopped midsentence.

"Ask who?" Sam said curiously.

"No one." Tina blushed.

"Who?!" Blaine said excitedly. "Tay-Tay, you have to tell me!"

"I well, um, it's-" Tina stuttered, and instantly changed the subject. "Oh, Sam, I forgot to tell you, did you know they're making bacon flavored lip balm?"

Sam went into an excited frenzy and Blaine watched his friend with delight and amusement. Tina let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll be back; I'm going to make a quick run to the Walgreens down the block to go look for it." Sam said, and Tina and Blaine were left alone.

"So, do you mind telling me what this is really about?" Blaine asked. "You couldn't possibly shed all those tears due to my Sadie Hawkins story."

"Well, a good number of tears were out of guilt towards that." Tina admitted. "But then I realized that the boy I want to ask to the dance won't want to go with me."

"Tina, that's crazy! Who wouldn't want to go with you?" Blaine laughed.

"You don't need to compliment me, Blaine. I don't need to go; I'll just be the head of the dance committee and put the dance together then stay home and watch chick flicks." She bowed her head in shame.

"Tina, you're going to the dance." Blaine said firmly, gently lifting her face up with his finger, and Tina stared into his beautiful hazel eyes. "You're going to ask that guy you want to go with. You two are going to have a great time. And then he'll realize how awesome you are."

Tina tackled Blaine in a hug. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do." He said seriously.

"You promise?" She said. "No matter _who _it is I want to go with."

"Yes!" Blaine said, amused.

**Author's note: **_I love the BLAMTINA friendship and I like incorporating it in the story, so tell me if you enjoy it! Also, if you really like BLAMTINA, check out my story Three's a Crowd, which is about Tina, Blaine, and Sam sharing an apartment in New York together._


	7. Dance Preparations

"Your father's company is having a benefit on Saturday." Andrea Anderson informed her son at the dinner table.

"Sounds fun." Blaine replied politely.

"It will be. It's on a yacht." Matthew Anderson said.

"Why have a party on a yacht in January? Isn't that a bit counter-productive? It's freezing!" Blaine noted.

"It's _fun, _Blaine." His mother sighed.

"The boat doesn't actually leave the water. It's just fun being on a yacht." His father explained.

"We were thinking you could come with us. You and I could buy you a nice new suit, and then we can all drive down together. There's an auction, you can bid on anything you'd like!" His mother persuaded.

"Sounds nice, but I rather not spend my night with Dad's snobby, rich, boring work friends. I'm a teenager, remember?" Blaine sighed exasperatedly.

"Cooper loved coming to these benefits." Matthew reminded him.

"Yeah, well I'm not Cooper!" Blaine yelled, and added quietly, "Besides, I have plans."

"Plans?" His mother said, in disbelief that he had made plans so early in the week. With Kurt gone, Blaine didn't go out much. Getting close to Tina and Sam was a blessing, because they were starting to get him out of the house.

"Yeah, I'm, uh, going to a dance." He said sheepishly.

"I thought Prom was in the spring." His father said, confused.

"It's, um, the Sadie Hawkins Dance." Blaine admitted.

His parents' arrogant demeanor quickly to one of concern, and he was bombarded with questions.

"You're going to the Sadie Hawkins Dance?"

"Are you sure?"

"Did someone set you up to this?"

"Blaine, you don't have to pretend to be brave."

"It's okay if you don't want to go."

"Mom, Dad, I'll be fine!" Blaine said. "That's all in the past. Besides, I'll have my date and my friends by my side."

"Do you have a new boyfriend?" His mother gushed.

"No." Blaine said. "And I'm going with a girl, actually."

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson exchanged confused glances, which soon turned into looks of excitement.

"A _girl?"_

"What's her name?"

"Is she pretty?"

"How do you know her?"

"Do you like her?"

"Are you dating?"

"Mom, Dad, no! It's not like that!" Blaine exclaimed, annoyed. "We're just friends."

"Just friends?"

"Why?"

"Do you not like her?"

"Is she ugly?"

"Dad!" Blaine yelled. "No, she's a very nice girl and she's very pretty. I just don't like her. I like_ men, _remember?" Blaine said bitterly, disappointed at how excited his parents got with a small chance that he could be straight. "Maybe you can't accept that, but I can."

"Blaine, of course we can accept that." His mother said, squeezing his hand.

"It just takes some getting used to, son." His father said. "And you know we fully support you and your decisions, but we can't help but get excited of the thought of you being with a girl. Think of it from a parent's perspective; it gives us less to worry about. We don't have to be afraid of you getting bullied for who you are."

"Okay, fine. I'll forgive you this time." Blaine sighed. "But don't get any ideas about me and Tina, okay?"

0~0

"Are you sure you don't mind that we won't be there to take pictures of you two?" Andrea asked Blaine when they got in the car, on their way to Tina's house.

"It's fine, Mom. Tina assured me her mother will take enough pictures for the both of you." Blaine said.

"You and Tina are always welcome to come to the benefit instead." Matthew reminded him.

"Dad, we _want _to go to the dance." Blaine said for what felt like the hundreth time.

"Are you sure we have to be on time to this benefit, honey? I'd really like to meet Blainey's date." His mother pleaded.

"Well-"

"Oh, it's fine, totally fine!" Blaine said, cutting off his father to assure he didn't consider going to their pictures. He knew how embarrassing his parents could be. "Like I said, Mrs. Cohen-Chang will take plenty of pictures. And they'll be on Facebook. Just _please _don't comment on them, Mom."

"Fine." His mother sighed. "Is this her house?"

"No, the next one." Blaine said. "What time do you want me home?" He asked as he got ready to exit the car.

"Whenever." His dad shrugged.

Blaine gaped at him. His father never let him go without a curfew.

"You have the money we gave you, right?" His mother asked. "Now, I know that since it's a ladies' choice dance your date will try to pay, but please offer to pay for her, alright?"

"And here's an extra twenty. Take her out for some ice cream or something after." His father said.

Blaine's jaw was nearly to the ground by now. No curfew _and _an extra twenty? This was too good to be true! Blaine realized what was going on. His father hoped these extra perks and freedoms would help Blaine fall for Tina and make him straight. Blaine knew it wouldn't happen, but he wasn't going to say no to a twenty dollar bill.

"Wow, thanks, Dad!"

"Have fun, son." His father smiled.

"But not too much fun!" His mother added.

"Alright, bye!" Blaine said as he hopped out of the car, and with a final wave his parents drove away.

Blaine rang the doorbell to Tina's house, and he couldn't deny that he was a bit nervous.

A woman, most likely Tina's mother, answered the door. "You must be Blaine." She smiled widely.

"And you must be Mrs. Cohen-Chang." Blaine responded.

Tina's mother laughed. "Yes I am! Come in, Tina's just putting the finishing touches on her makeup." Blaine followed Tina's mother inside, and sat in the living room in the front of the house.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Tina's told me so much about you." Kim complimented.

"Not true! Don't listen to her, Blaine!" Someone called, and Tina rushed down the stairs. Blaine stood up immediately.

"Oh, Tina, you look-"

"Beautiful." Blaine finished in complete awe. Tina beamed.

Her dress was a lot less heavy and dark than the formal dresses she had worn in years past. It was a pretty teal blue, but had a black skirt that emphasized the Tina Cohen-Chang flair. Blaine adored it. It was like combining the old, shy, gothic Tina with the new, confident, bright Tina.

"Well, we should take pictures now before your makeup starts to run!" Kim said assertively.

"Okay, Mom, no need to be pushy." Tina rolled her eyes.

"Get in front of the fireplace." Her mother ordered.

"Oh, wait!" Blaine said, and grabbed the little box holding his corsage for her. "I got you this. Well, actually, my mom picked it out. I've never actually had to buy a corsage, did you know that? Because you're the first girl I've gone to a dance with. I can only hope that they're easier to put on than those stupid boutonnieres." Tina laughed affectionately at his nervous ramble.

"Go ahead." She smiled encouragingly, holding out her wrist. Blaine delicately placed the corsage around her wrist.

"Much easier than a corsage." He sighed out of relief, and Tina giggled.

Tina used her nimble fingers and quickly adjusted Blaine's boutonniere on his suit coat with great ease, all while Mrs. Cohen-Chang snapped dozens of pictures.

"How'd you do that?!" Blaine said, impressed. "It usually takes me about three tries, and that's after I've punctured myself and my date."

Tina laughed. "It's all in the fingers." She flashed a smug smile.

Tina and Blaine posed for a few pictures before Tina finally told her mother to stop. "Alright, Mom, enough."

"Just one more-"

"Enough." Tina said. "Blaine and I have to get to dinner anyway."

Kim sighed. "Have fun. Don't stay out too late!"

"Where do you want to go?" Tina asked once they got settled in her car.

"It's Ladies Choice, isn't it?" Blaine said politely.

"Technically yes, but Ladies' choice really just means everything is turned around. Like the girls get to ask the guys for a change. And the girls get to drive to the dance. And the girls get to pay for everything. But since the girls always get to pick where dinner is, it's your turn!" Tina explained.

"I have no preference." Blaine said honestly.

"Breadstix?" She suggested.

"Sure. Although, I do feel like every couple from McKinley will be there." Blaine pointed out. "And we always go to Breadstix. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm getting a bit sick of Italian."

"You're right. We should do something special! And we look way too classy to go to a burger joint." Tina nodded, and Blaine nodded enthusiastically. "Mexican?"

"God no." Blaine exclaimed.

"Good. I hate Mexican." Tina giggled.

"Then why'd you suggest it?" Blaine chuckled.

"I don't know." She shrugged happily. "I thought maybe you'd like it."

"So you'd go to a Mexican restaurant even if you hated it, as long as I liked it?" Blaine asked, amused.

"I don't know...probably!" She said.

"Pushover." He teased.

"Blaine Anderson, what did you call me?" She gave a mock-gasp.

"You're too sweet!" Blaine laughed. "Tell me where you want to go!"

"How about Chinese? Does that sound good? I know this delicious place that just opened." Tina suggested.

"Chinese sounds fantastic." Blaine gushed.

"Are you just saying that?" Tina said suspiciously.

"No! Now that you put that idea in my head, I really want Chinese!" Blaine said excitedly. "Look at us, more in common than we thought. Both hate Mexican food, and both love Chinese food."

"Great minds think alike." Tina said.

"It must be our Asian cultures." Blaine noted, and they both laughed.

Tina couldn't have been more excited about the night ahead of her, and Blaine was soon learning this night was already better than expected.


	8. Sadie Hawkins

"Chopstix." Blaine said admirably, looking at the sign of the Chinese restaurant. "Sounds familiar."

"It has no relation to Breadstix, I assure you." Tina laughed.

"Good, because as much I as love Breadstix, it gets old after a little bit. Breadstix is basically the only place Sam likes to go to eat, besides Buffalo Wild Wings. And between you and me, I actually _hate _Buffalo Wild Wings. I only like watching Sam eat the wings and get sauce all over his face. It's adorable." Blaine chuckled, and Tina forced a laugh.

_You knew he was gay when you pursued this, Tina, so you can't get mad at him for being attracted to other guys! _Tina attempted to remind herself, but Blaine was just too charming. And Tina could honestly admit, gay or not, she had one of the most attractive dates to the Sadie Hawkins dance.

"So what's our time limit here?" Blaine asked once they sat down and got their menus. "Being in charge of the dance and all, do you have to be there early?"

"No, that's the chaperones' job. My work is done. With all the time and effort I put into that dance, I deserve a night to enjoy it, if I do say so myself." She said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the decorations. Sugar says you did a fantastic job on them." Blaine complimented.

"I sure hope so!" Tina giggled. "When do you suppose we get there? We do have to perform with the Glee Club; do you need to be there at a certain time?"

"As long as we're there for the 'No Scrubs' performance, I'm good. But we've got almost two hours until the actual performance, so we'll have plenty of time. We'll probably be waiting for the teachers to unlock the doors to the dance!" He exclaimed.

It was quite the opposite. Tina and Blaine got so into their conversation that they made it to the 'No Scrubs' performance by the skin of their teeth. It was not like they intended it to happen, it was simply that conversation passed so easily between them. They laughed until they had tears in their eyes, but they weren't afraid to open up to each other, either.

"I got to hand it to you, Tina." Blaine said as they ate their dinner, "This is good. Like _really _good."

"Well, when your family has been to every Chinese restaurant in town, you know where to go." Tina explained. "There are some _awful _one's out there. Like this one right outside of Lima Heights, Kim's, or as I like to call it, Crooked Kim's. I don't know what they put in their Mongolian Beef, but let me tell you, it sure isn't beef."

"Kim's? I've been there! Absolutely revolting." Blaine laughed.

"My thoughts exactly." Tina smiled.

"Well," Blaine said after they polished off a piece of chocolate cake over a serious conversation about graduation, "I think we should get the check and then get out of here." Blaine took a glance at his phone. "Sweet merciful Lord, look at the time! The No Scrubs performance is in fifteen minutes!"

"Oh my God, I thought the dance just started!" Tina exclaimed.

"Time flies when you're having fun, eh?" Blaine said, and Tina beamed at him.

They raced to McKinley, and were in a fit of giggles once they got out of the car.

"You're the worst driver ever, you know that?" Blaine said, amused.

"Is this an Asians-can't-drive joke?" Tina said with a frown.

"No! It's a Tina-Cohen-Chang-can't-drive-I-was-praying-we-woul dn't-die joke!" Blaine teased.

"You're the worst!" Tina gave an overdramatic sigh.

"Hey, it's the truth. I was holding on to my seat for dear life! You were flying down the roads!"

"I just wanted to ensure we arrived on time for the No Scrubs performance." Tina said, and added with a smug smile, "Look, we arrived with a few minutes to spare. Feel free to thank me."

"Only after you thank me for telling you to watch out for that truck you almost hit." Blaine smirked.

"I knew that was coming!" Tina laughed.

"Oh, sure." Blaine said with a sarcastic tease. "Laugh it off like it was no big deal, even though we almost got KILLED!"

"I would fight back, but I've had enough with the bickering. We got a dance to get to!" Tina said excitedly, grabbing Blaine's hand and pulling him into the gym.

_Wonderful. _That was the word Blaine would use to describe his Sadie Hawkins experience. Fantastic. Awesome. Hilarious. But overall, wonderful. Because now he had overcome his fear, and been to a delightful Sadie Hawkins Dance that would forever mask his horrible experience at the first one.

It had been an eventful night. Blaine and Tina went to a fantastic restaurant, they almost got killed by Tina's horrible driving, the New Directions Boys KILLED their 'No Scrubs' performance, he and Sam bonded, he and Sam saved Glee Club, he and Tina showed off their amazing dance skills, he had almost kissed Tina-

Oh, right. _That happened._

There was no denying it. Tina had initiated the almost kiss. But he'd be lying if he didn't lean into it. He'd be lying if he didn't admit that if Sam hadn't interrupted them, he would have done it.

It wasn't because he was indecisive about his sexuality; no, Rachel Berry had proven the fact that he was gay. But at same time, he had never felt so confused.

Kurt. He loved Kurt.

But Kurt was off at NYADA doing who knows _who _and he had all these friends and activities and didn't have time to worry about his silly high school ex-boyfriend who cheated him. Blaine understood that Kurt couldn't trust him anymore, and was simply glad they were friends at the moment.

But yet now there was Sam, with the big lips and the amazing abs and the adorable impressions and dorky personality that he found so charming. Sam, who was the first to reach out a welcoming hand to him. Sam, who taught him life was too short to worry about your mistakes. Sam, who showed him there _were _other attractive people in the school besides Kurt.

But Sam was straight. And Sam liked Brittany. And even if he didn't always like Brittany, he would always like girls, and would never like Blaine.

And then there was Tina. Tina, the shy Asian who had come out of her shell this year. Tina, with her new attractive confident personality that complimented Blaine's so greatly. Tina, the one who was always willing to push her problems aside to listen to his. Tina, the one he could always count on, and did a number of lovely things for him without asking. Tina, the girl who never failed to make him smile.

But that was the problem. Tina was a _girl. _

In the moment, Blaine was fully aware he was about to kiss her. Blaine wasn't sure if Tina liked him, but they were attending a romantic dance together, and they were really hitting off; maybe Tina felt the opportunity presented itself, or maybe the Sadie Hawkins Dance had inspired her to be an empowered woman, or maybe she was thinking the same thing Blaine was: _It would be so easy._

It would be so easy to kiss Tina Cohen-Chang. It'd be so easy to then turn that kiss into a relationship. It'd be so easy for them to convince themselves that just because they cared deeply for each other, they could fall in love. It'd be so easy to pretend he was straight and to conform to the social norm, never having to worry about being bullied or getting judgmental stares from homophobics. But it would not be so easy to hide the fact that they would be using each other to mask their loneliness.

Because although Blaine had gotten close to Tina in a relatively short time, he _knew _her. He understood her. He knew that freshman year, she was simply happy to gain the confidence to join the glee club and lose her stutter. She had Artie by her side, supporting her the entire time. Sophomore and junior year, while dating Mike, it was easy for Tina to simply be one half of the adorable Asian couple that quietly giggled to each other in the corner.

But now, Mike was gone, and Tina was single for the first time in almost three years. She had to learn to be Tina Cohen-Chang, not just hide behind the façade of a supportive girlfriend.

And it seemed to work for her, at first. Tina was happy, and beginning to discover who she was. She was more assertive and confident. She liked who she was becoming. But what was the point of gaining confidence if you had no one to share it with?

Blaine was everything she wished to be. He was the well-respected member of the glee club, something he had earned within his short time at McKinley. He was confident in who he was, he was popular, he was always kind, he was a natural-born leader, and he killed every solo he was given. Blaine represented the new Tina and everything she aspired to be. And with her knew found confidence and their newfound friendship, she realized his personality complimented hers greatly, and they would make the perfect dynamic duo, on and off stage.

It made sense why Blaine and Tina were drawn to each other. They were both lonely. Blaine loved how he could always count on Tina; she would always be there for him, no matter what. Above all Blaine's great characteristics, Tina simply saw him as a boy not only willing to listen, but a boy who cared to what she had to say.

_That _was why Tina Cohen-Chang wanted to kiss him tonight, Blaine concluded. They were both lonely and both cared for each other, so what more could they need?

But Blaine was relieved that Sam interrupted the kiss and Blaine didn't go through with it. Because he realized, to really be in love is more to care deeply for someone. He cared deeply for his brother, but he didn't want to make out with him! To be in love is more than just to care for them. He loved and cared for Tina, but would never have the urge to make out with her in his car. But because he loved Tina, he didn't want to kiss her, because he didn't want to lead her to an inevitable broken heart.

Maybe the almost kiss was a spur of the moment thing, or maybe Tina was developing feelings for Blaine hard and fast. Whatever it was, he knew Tina and Blaine would overcome it. His favorite part about friendships, unlike relationships, was that they did not end.

**Author's note: **_I__'d REALLY like to know what you guys thought about this chapter. Tina gets a lot of crap for her crush on Blaine, and I wanted to give a little insight on where she's coming from. Also, if you watch Sadie Hawkins closely, Blaine seems to be leaning into the kiss just as much as Tina, although Tina of course gets the heat for trying to kiss him. I think what I'm trying to portray is they're both extremely lonely and are learning how to deal with their new friendship._


	9. Shoulder to Cry On

"So the other day, Sam pointed out that Finn has become a carbon copy of Mr. Shue." Blaine began a story on the phone for Kurt. "He's best friends with Coach Besite and Miss Pillsberry, he drinks coffee, and he's started dressing just like him, exchanging his classic Finn Hudson Flannels for button downs and sweater vests."

Kurt laughed, and Blaine continued, "So Tina had the _brilliant _idea of the three of us dressing just like Finn and Mr. Shue-"

"Oh Dear Lord." Kurt chuckled.

"It was absolutely hilarious. We all wore checkered shirts, vests, and khakis. It didn't even gel, just to add to the effect of Mr. Shue's hair! It was especially funny on Tina because it was so obviously prominent that she was not dressing in her adorable little dresses and trying to prove a point. Tina Cohen-Chang is actually hilarious, did you know that?" Blaine said admirably.

"I did spend three years in Glee with her." Kurt reminded him. "But you seem to have gotten to know her better in these past few months than I did over the course of three years!" He exclaimed, with a hint of bitterness. Jealousy, perhaps?

"Yeah, she's the greatest. She's _so _cool now; I wish I knew her better last year. Oh, and Sam has these spot-on impressions of Mr. Shue and Finn that he does, but of course you already knew Sam was hilarious." Blaine said, amused.

"Mhhm-hmm." Kurt's jealousy was definitely apparent now, but Blaine was unphased.

"Oh, and the next day, Sam pointed out how Finn definitely only drinks coffee to be cool, not for the taste. He noticed Finn puts about three packs of sugar in his coffee!" He said excitedly.

"That's my brother." Kurt said fondly.

"So Sam decided, he, well," Blaine was laughing so hard he could barely get the words out, "He switched the sugar packets with salt ones! Oh, you should've seen Finn's face! And he spit out his coffee, all over that annoying cheerio, Kitty! It was the highlight of my week!"

Even Kurt had put his jealously aside to burst into laughter at that one. "Oh my God, I'm just imagining Finn's face...its perfect. You, Sam, and Tina have become quite the mischievous masterminds, have you?"

"I guess." Blaine said proudly.

"Hmm, who would've thought? I never saw you as that type; or Tina, for that matter." Kurt noted.

"We're crazy when we get together, me, Tina, and Sam. It's so much _fun! _I wouldn't survive senior year without them."

"Well, then I'm glad." Kurt said encouragingly. "Hey, I gotta go, Adam's here."

"Adam?" Blaine said, and then teased, "Who's that, you're boyfriend?"

"I guess you could say that." Kurt said casually. "I mean, we've been on a few dates. It's not really exclusive, although we both aren't seeing anyone else. It's going great. He's been awesome at teaching me the ropes of NYADA, and he's so supportive. So we'll see where that heads."

Blaine felt like he had had the wind knocked out of him. It was as if the walls were closing in around him, and he was quickly loosing oxygen. Blaine knew they were broken up, and he knew he had feelings for Sam, but Kurt seeing someone? He couldn't handle that yet.

"That's, that's great." Blaine forced.

"Yeah," Kurt said excitedly, then Blaine overheard Kurt tease, "Oh, look at you, letting yourself on in! Aren't you confident?" Kurt then put the phone back to Blaine and said. "Sorry, gotta go, Adam's here. Bye, Blaine."

"Bye-" But Kurt had hung up the phone before Blaine could finish, "Kurt."

Blaine grabbed his keys. He needed to drive. He needed to get out. He didn't know where he was going, but he needed to leave.

"Blaine, dinner's ready." His mother said while Blaine hurried past her.

"I'm not hungry." He grumbled.

"Where are you going?"

"To pick something up." He lied.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He sighed angrily.

"Are you sure? You seem a bit off. Maybe you should lay down-"

"I'm fine, Mom!" Blaine snapped. "I just need to go, okay?"

"Okay," His mother recoiled. "Just...don't be gone long."

Blaine drove. And drove. And then he realized it wasn't a good idea. For one thing, gas wasn't cheap, so driving without a purpose was stupid. For another, the tears were going to hit him soon, and driving while crying seemed dangerous.

He needed someone to talk to. Someone to listen to him.

Sam.

But he already expected what Sam was going to say. "Look, that sucks, man, but the best thing to do is move on. Look at me! I've had my heart broken a number of times. Quinn, Santana, Mercedes...but now I'm incredibly happy with Brittany! I know you can find someone too!"

But he didn't want someone to tell him it'd be okay. He wanted someone to understand him, to listen to him, to hold him while he inevitably cried.

Tina.

Blaine did a sharp U-turn and headed to Tina's house. He raced to her doorstep and rang the doorbell three times.

"Blaine!" Mrs. Cohen-Chang greeted. "What a surprise! Do you and Tina have a project for school?"

"Yeah, something like that, Mrs. C. I just really need to see Tina." Blaine said, craning his neck behind the door looking for her.

"She's in her bedroom." Kim informed him, and led him inside.

Blaine ran up the stairs into Tina's room. He didn't even bother to knock, and instead burst through the door.

"Blaine!" Tina screamed in surprise, standing up and quickly closed her math spiral, which still had Tina + Blaine = BLATINA written on it. Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing she had done.

"I'm sorry, I should've called, or texted, or at least KNOCKED for God's sake but I just needed to see you-" Blaine collapsed in her arms, and finally the tears fell.

For a split second, Tina thought that maybe Blaine had realized he was in love with her and was so overcome with love it brought him to tears, but one look into his hazel puppy dog eyes and she knew he was hurt.

She held him for a few more minutes while he cried softly into her shoulder, and she ran a hand through his gelled hair, gradually making her hand gelled and greasy. Once the tears subsided and turned into sniffles, she took his hand and led him to the edge of her bed, and handed him the Kleenex box that was on her bedside table.

"Now, when you're ready, you can tell me what's wrong, but if you're not, feel free to cry again." Tina said soothingly, rubbing his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He sniffled, dabbing his eyes. "I'm usually not like this. I don't cry often, and never in the company of others, besides my parents. And I haven't cried over Kurt in ages, but then this happened and I guess it just hit me all over again."

And there is was. Kurt. _He _was the reason Blaine was crying. He was the reason Blaine was hurt. And yet, Tina was legitimately wiping Blaine's tears, but Blaine would never love her. Tina would never hurt Blaine, but Kurt had hurt Blaine multiple times, and Blaine still loved him. It just wasn't fair!

But above all, Tina was Blaine's friend. And if she was Blaine's friend, she was going to push her own feelings aside and help him.

"Blaine, you should never feel ashamed to come to cry to me." Tina said softly, delicately dabbing Blaine's eyes with a tissue. "And feel free to get up and let it out; rant, throw around some of my clothes, rip apart some papers, just...stay away from my homework. I spent a lot of time on that." She said, and Blaine let out a small laugh.

"It's Kurt, Tina." He sighed. "I mean, I knew we were over, and I guess that means he's free to date whoever he likes, but I never thought that could _actually _happen, you know?"

"What happened?" Tina asked, concerned.

"Kurt's seeing someone. His name's Adam, and I don't know anything about him, but Kurt seems really happy. And I'm happy that he's happy, just-"

"You wish he'd be happy with you." Tina finished.

"Exactly. And I know I'm being a hypocrite, because I like Sam, but it's not the same! Because me and Sam can't actually happen, but Kurt and can and IS happening, and I know I'm being selfish, but-"

"You're not being selfish." Tina said firmly. "Blaine, I know what it's like to have feelings on an implausible crush. Trust me. And I also know that if Mike had a new girlfriend, I would be devastated. There's nothing wrong with a little jealousy. You don't have to feel bad, and you don't have to feel ashamed. And I don't even have to know Adam to know you're ten times better than him." Tina said, and Blaine tackled her in a hug.

"Thanks, Tina. You really know how to make a guy feel better." Blaine smiled.

"Never be afraid to vent to me." She said encouragingly, and then added brightly, "Oh! I'll be right back!"

Tina hurried out of her bedroom, leaving Blaine with a few moments to himself to take a look around her bedroom. Much like Tina, the room was very organized. She had a bookshelf piled with books, and a neatly stacked set of CDs on her desk. She had a large bulletin board above her dresser, filled with lots of pictures of glee club or her with members of the glee club. He also noticed that the framed picture on her bedside table, which used to include a picture of her and Mike at Prom, now included a picture of her and Blaine and the Sadie Hawkins Dance.

"So, I've been told I'm the perfect go-to gal after a breakup." Tina said excitedly when she came back in. "I've talked through breakups with Mercedes, Rachel, Artie, and several with Sam, actually. But it is my personal belief that nobody heals a broken heart like my pals Ben and Jerry." She smiled, displaying the two cartons of ice cream, equipped with two large spoons. "Your choice, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, or Cherry Garcia?"

Blaine smiled widely and grabbed the Chocolate one. "And while we are already indulging ourselves, I thought we might as well pop in a guilty pleasure movie." Tina said, and handed him his options, Mamma Mia and Hairspray.

Tina and Blaine spent the night pigging out with the ice cream while laughing at Pierce Bronson's horrible singing in Mamma Mia, and for that night at least, Blaine forget his worries over Kurt and Adam. He realized why he was not ashamed to cry in front of Tina, and why this broken heart would be easier to overcome than when he broke up with Kurt: Now he had a friend to get him through it.


	10. Meeting Mrs Anderson

It wasn't what it looked like! Okay, so maybe Tina _was _straddling Blaine, but it was only because it was the easiest way to reach the VapoRub! Okay, so maybe she could have immediately stopped straddling him once she began to apply the VapoRub, but she didn't think of that. She was simply lost in the moment. She wasn't _trying _to be creepy; she was just being a helpful friend. And then she became overwhelmed with unrequited love and the tears came, hard and fast. She tried her best stifle the tears, but they just kept coming, each drop symbolizing the same message:

Blaine likes Sam.

Blaine likes Kurt.

Blaine will never love you.

Blaine CAN never love you.

Blaine likes men.

I am alone.

Why did it have to be this way?! The worst part was, they were friends. Although the relationship may be all in her head, the friendship was definitely there. And if Blaine didn't like boys, she KNEW it could be more; they had undeniable chemistry!

But you know what's worse than having a gay best friend that you know would make the perfect boyfriend if you were dating?

Falling in love with a gay guy.

The heart wants what the heart wants-there is no stopping it. But what happens when the heart wants something it cannot possibly have?

When Tina was done applying the VapoRub, she curled up next to him. She wasn't trying to be weird; she was simply taking in the moment. Because she knew this would be the only time she could ever get this close to him. This would also be the last time. She had JUST straddled her best friend an applied VapoRub on him. She didn't do it to be creepy, she didn't do it because she was in love with him, but now that she thought about it, it was crossing the line. This crush needed to stop. Or at least Tina knew she had to suppress her feelings and never cross the line again.

Tina slowly quietly walked down the stairs, hoping to slip out of the Anderson household unnoticed.

"Blainey?" He heard a female voice ask.

"Shit." Tina whispered, and froze in terror as Mrs. Anderson entered the room.

"Oh." Mrs. Anderson said, surprised. "Blaine didn't tell me he was having a guest over."

"I was just leaving." Tina said quickly, her face heating up with an obvious embarrassed blush.

"You must be Tina." Mrs. Anderson said.

"Yes," Tina said, trying to hide her satisfaction that Mrs. Anderson knew who she was, "How did you know?"

"You're just about the only girl he talks about nowadays." She gave an encouraging smile.

"Really?" Tina beamed.

"Well, yes. Although he used to complain about that Rachel Berry girl a bit." She admitted. "Where is Blaine, by the way?"

"Upstairs. I was just leaving." Tina explained.

"And he was going to let you leave without walking you out?"

"Oh, no, it's fine. He, um, well, he fell asleep." Tina admitted.

"He fell asleep?"

"Yes. He wasn't feeling too well." She explained.

"I've noticed. He's been in such a bad mood this week because of his cold, so I thought I'd cheer him up and get him food from one of his favorite restaurants-He's been _obsessed _with this Chinese place ever since he went there before the Sadie Hawkins Dance-"

"Chopstix?" Tina asked, and Mrs. Anderson nodded. "I took him there." She said proudly.

"Oh, of course! I almost forgot you were his date to the Sadie Hawkins Dance!" Mrs. Anderson exclaimed. "I must thank you for that; giving Blaine a good experience at a dance that had a horrible root in his past has made him more confident and enabled him to not worry about that part of his life."

"Oh, it was nothing really!" Tina said, overwhelmed with the gratitude. "I did nothing besides ask him; your son was the one who was the perfect date."

"He's not being the perfect friend now, falling asleep before you leave." Mrs. Anderson laughed. "Would you like to stay for dinner? I don't want to wake Blaine and I don't want this food to go to waste anyway."

"Oh, no, it's totally fine; it was my fault for even coming over when I knew Blaine was under the weather." Tina said.

"It was Blaine's fault for inviting you over! He should've known he would get you sick!" Mrs. Anderson said lightly, and began to walk into the kitchen, urging Tina to follow, which she did. It was the least she could do after straddling Andrea Anderson's son while he was unconscious.

"Blaine's father is working late tonight, so it was just going to be me and Blaine." She explained as she handed her a plate. "But I'm glad it's just you and I because you can give me the gossip on Blaine."

"And you could show me some of Blaine's baby photos." Tina giggled.

"Did you know you're the first girl Blaine has ever brought home?" Mrs. Anderson noted once they had begun eating.

"Really?" Tina said in surprise.

"Blaine was always comfortable in his sexuality and never felt the need to hide it; he never dealt with gay beards or forcing himself to like women-except for that one time he experimented with that girl from Glee club-but we never met her; he was quite embarrassed after it happened." She explained fondly. "He was at Dalton for a while, and they had no girls there. Then once he got to McKinley, it was all Kurt, all the time. So here we are, senior year, and you are the first girl he's brought home. Actually, besides Kurt, you're probably the only friend from McKinley he's brought home. Oh, except for Sam. I've met Sam a couple of times. He's a sweetheart."

"Sam's hilarious." Tina commented.

"Is Sam, well, you know, _gay_? Because Blaine always speaks very fondly of him, and Sam sometimes gives off this vibe-"

"Sam? No, he has a girlfriend. If he was, he would've come out by now, because the glee club is a very accepting environment and there had already been speculation of Sam's sexuality sophomore year anyway." Tina informed her.

"Oh, good to know. I'm still convinced Blaine has a crush on him, but Blaine refuses to tell me anything." She sighed. "Boys. It's so nice to finally have girl talk, you know? When I had two sons, I never worried about missing out on girl stuff, because I assumed they'd have girlfriends that I'd adore. But Blaine has no interest in girls, and Cooper jumps from girl to girl so fast, I've never gotten to make a connection with any." She explained. "I'm almost glad you and Blaine can't date; this way, you can't break up, and you can always come around and give me the gossip on Blaine." She smiled.

"As long as you share some embarrassing Blaine baby stories in exchange." Tina replied happily.


End file.
